Is Cataclysm Enough to Bring You Back?

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Every time I start to write about World of Warcraft, I know that some percentage of our readership will sigh an exasperated breath, let slump their frustrated shoulders and forcefully think to themselves, “are we really still talking about this game?” I understand and even sympathize with the crippling ennui that Blizzard’s epic, if slightly long in the tooth, MMO inspires in some. Truth be told, for a long and restful few months, even as I had tantalizing beta access to the upcoming expansion Cataclysm waiting for my hungry eyes, I too grew despondent to my long-term digital paramour.

But, like the mafia, a sanitarium or daycare, they inevitably pulled me back in.

Truth is, I actually don’t like MMO betas very much. I cling desperately to the assumption that the endless timesink of these games at least results in some durable digital asset, like a level 80 spell-wielding cow or an ill-tempered dwarf wearing fancy armor. In betas not only do you have to deal with a world only half realized, but the fruits of your labor are summarily dismissed at the end of the ordeal. It’s not just watching sausage being made, it’s having to periodically take big bites of the partially processed meat.

So, when I tell you, not surprisingly, that the World of Warcraft: Cataclysm beta is becoming pretty damn fun, at least understand that for a while I had been inclined to say something very different.

Even if you have long pushed back, overstuffed, from the WoW smorgasbord, know that unlike previous expansions Cataclysm is ready to welcome back its lost flock with open and accommodating arms. This is the rare expansion to an MMO that actually is driven to serve players of all levels, not just the hardcore.

Historically, my least favorite thing about MMO expansions, is that it often seems like unless you have high level characters, there’s little content that is aimed at you. Sure, occasionally there will be a new race or class, but aside from a brief stint in an updated starting area, it’s ultimately back into the long grind that had so worn you down in the first place. I struggle to recall any MMO expansion that successfully addressed that deep well of dragging commitment that describes the upside down bell curve of MMO fun.

If you have ever played WoW and thought to yourself, “That’s it, I just can’t possibly spend another second in Stranglethorn Vale with my level 35 character,” then this is the expansion built for you.

This Azeroth is a new world rebuilt from the fiery embers of the old. It rewards both those who have spent half a decade traversing familiar landscapes, as well as those who are open to the concept of ending their long diaspora away. Five years is an eternity in the massively multiplayer business, and the lessons learned both in world construction and character development progression are immediately and consistent evident.

This world is a more interesting place where once small waystations between distant points of interest have been given their own depth, personality and fleshed backstory. There is a persistent sense of movement and progress at all levels, and with the benefit of five years worth of tools and improvements there is always the opportunity to shift your focus on the fly and do something different when you get bored.

I have a friend who has for months been trying to get me to see the light on Cataclysm. It’s basically a full-on relaunch of one of the world’s biggest games. Everything is basically rebuilt from the ground up: mechanics, levelling, questing, the world, skill development, roles, story, everything. Only in the past few weeks, as Blizzard has really begun putting that fifth level of polish on the game -- still more than a month out -- have the dots begun to connect firmly in my mind.

Be prepared, because if you are a former WoW player who simply thought you would be able to finally ignore this expansion, the temptation will be far stronger than you might have imagined. It’s not just an expansion for people who want to play a goblin or werewolf. The reality is that the changes made to the world and the game itself are equally impactful to long-standing classes and races. The promise of a world totally torn down and rebuilt from its own ashes is being realized, and it is even more tantalizing than I had originally imagined it would be.

The laundry list of changes and improvements is grand in scope. I would be loathe to try and point to any one thing (old world flying, simplifying talent trees, improved visuals, increased world diversity, story development, normalized questing paths, dungeon queues, smoother transition between areas, redevelopment of outdated or underused content) that makes the experience take the next leap forward. It's an expansion not built on gimmicks or hooks, but from the experience of a cash-rich company that is investing in the future of a game that should by all accounts already be in decline.

And, if I was placing my bets, I would say with supreme confidence that the investment will pay off for both company and players.

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It's sold my wife. She's already planning to re-up; I'm perfectly happy with the dozen or so other games I have sitting around - Starcraft, Civ, etc.. I'm saving my MMORPG juices for the Old Republic launch. Then again, if she starts playing Cataclysm, and I look over her shoulder too often, I may change my mind...

Just reading this article makes me want to sign back up, and log in. I can feel that comfortable familiarity of talking with guildies, or a Saturday morning raid. However, I know that I don't have the time to invest into a game like this again. The fact that I'm now married, and my wife has some deep hatred for the game stemming from a combination of past boyfriend experience, and misinformation will be enough to keep me out of the new old world. However, if enough of my real life friends jump on board, I could feel myself get pulled in. One way Blizzard could get me back, would be a free to play option, as I would love to jump in, and at least see the new/old world. For now though, my resolve will hold strong.

It sounds fun - but no, i can't see myself going back. They took enough of my time in college. What with a small baby and wife, I just can't justify the time commitment of an MMO. With what time I have - I have console games to play now:)

I hear ya! For a couple times already I promised I'd never go back to WoW. I thought the game didn't have anything else to offer, after playing on and off for so many years.

And here I am again, re-subscribed and checking out all the new mechanics changes and I REALLY like what I see. I started playing an abandoned level 65 Priest of mine and she's already level 72, enjoying the, new to me, Dungeon Finding tool, the new talent Trees and what not.

I'm excited about Cataclysm and I can't wait to roll a new alt and experience all that new content!

The draw is always there to play, miss the guildies, miss the comfortable feeling WoW gives, but with limited game time, keep trying to play all the other games have neglected. Always feel like when am paying monthly for something, have to get as much play into it as possible to make it as worthwhile as possible, this always ends up excluding playing anything else.

I was already sold on the idea, despite hanging up my WoW coat several years ago. My problem is I simply don't have the time. If I did have the time for WoW, I would undoubtedly be playing Cataclysm. Everything I've seen looks fantastic, and my time with WoW was a good one already. I think it's pretty much as fun as MMOs are going to get, and nothing beats teaming up with a group of friends.

I had been away for a few months, after my son hijacked my main, and I figured that I'd wait for Cataclysm to start back up again. But I'm so looking forward to the release, that I started all over again this week. I can't wait.

I played the game for 3.5 years, and ran a successful druid blog while doing so.

I have ZERO interest in signing back up for WoW, and Cataclysm does nothing to change that. It's more of the same: I've played enough quest-grinding Diku-MMOs over the last few years to crave something way different.

The reason I dislike hearing about WoW isn't because I find it boring - quite the contrary, I think it's very interesting how Blizzard is doing great work on improving the game and constantly staying ahead of the competitiion with its content.

It's because I, like Sally, wasted a couple of years of my life on that game. It was all consuming, and actively harmful to my real-world relationships. WoW is a dangerous, dangerous game, and the more I hear about it, the more I contemplate signing back up, and the more I have to remind myself of how bad a decision that would be.

WoW is like crack, and as a recovering addict, I'm happier the less people go around and offer me a hit - especially a hit of this new, improved crack.

I've only been playing for a little over a year and I've already had the ups and downs of an addict with this game.

I was very, very into it at first - like play every weekend, ALL weekend and ignore real life into it. And then I got to level 80 and discovered I haven't got the necessary coordination for jousting and wondered: "Is this it - why did I do all that work?"

Then I made some alts and realized that after the starting area, it's pretty much the same old grind no matter what or where you are.

But, Cataclysm has got me interested again - I like the changes I'm seeing and I'm actually having fun with it. I'm looking forward to starting up a toon and questing with fellow Goodjers on Blackhand when Cataclysm comes out.

Maybe I'm fooling myself, but I'm hoping to keep my current habits with it - a couple of hours the odd weeknight and maybe only one day out of a weekend - and not the intense Friday night, Saturday/Sunday crack-fest like when I started playing.

The reason I dislike hearing about WoW isn't because I find it boring - quite the contrary, I think it's very interesting how Blizzard is doing great work on improving the game and constantly staying ahead of the competitiion with its content.

It's because I, like Sally, wasted a couple of years of my life on that game. It was all consuming, and actively harmful to my real-world relationships. WoW is a dangerous, dangerous game, and the more I hear about it, the more I contemplate signing back up, and the more I have to remind myself of how bad a decision that would be.

WoW is like crack, and as a recovering addict, I'm happier the less people go around and offer me a hit - especially a hit of this new, improved crack.

Same here. I didn't stop playing because it was in any way deficient in quality. It was too damn good. Now, any time I have a multiplayer session I can't quit at 5 seconds' notice I feel trapped.

I think I'm done. I've been playing since the original f&f alpha, and I feel like I may have milked the game for everything it's worth. I've played casually, roleplayed, tackled endless hours of pvp and even main tanked Arthas.

I have the perfect group of smart & fun players ready for me to join 10-player shenanigans in Cataclysm, but honestly, I can't muster the enthusiasm. Leveling up. Boss encounters in circular rooms. Re-gemming. It sounds like the same drum, just slightly different tempo.

What they've done to Azeroth (<--- how long until Firefox spell check knows how to spell that?) is awesome. Thousand Needles is spectacular (due in no small part to a Blizz-buddy of mine, I'm proud to say), but the game itself has become a grind.

Gameplay seems shifted instead of revitalized, and for a crotchety old raider like myself, the changes just feel like window dressing. I'm ready for the next generation of MMOs, I guess.

Of course, I say that now. We'll see what song I'm singing in 6 months when all my gaming buddies are drinking the Koolaid and enticing me with tales of digital wizzits and woos.

“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.”
-- George Bernard Shaw

The reason I dislike hearing about WoW isn't because I find it boring - quite the contrary, I think it's very interesting how Blizzard is doing great work on improving the game and constantly staying ahead of the competitiion with its content.

It's because I, like Sally, wasted a couple of years of my life on that game. It was all consuming, and actively harmful to my real-world relationships. WoW is a dangerous, dangerous game, and the more I hear about it, the more I contemplate signing back up, and the more I have to remind myself of how bad a decision that would be.

WoW is like crack, and as a recovering addict, I'm happier the less people go around and offer me a hit - especially a hit of this new, improved crack.

Same here. I didn't stop playing because it was in any way deficient in quality. It was too damn good. Now, any time I have a multiplayer session I can't quit at 5 seconds' notice I feel trapped.

I felt myself getting curious and drawn in before I read your comments, so thanks to both of you for reminding me why I'm on the wagon.

I went through Northrend twice but found the end game ethos of repetitively running dungeons to get gear and doing dailies to be not my cup 'o tea. So I'm up for a run or two through the new areas, but that will be it. Playing WoW doesn't have to be all about the raiding and the end game.

I'm planning to pick it up, if only because I'm very curious about how it's turned out since I quit a few years ago. I might even see if Karla wants to join me and play once a week or something. I think the Monday night crew has proven that WoW can almost be played casually without much time investment outside of the actual Monday get together. That's a huge point in its favor and Cataclysm has made that easier by the look of things.

But I share the same reservations a bunch of people in the comments here carry. That it's still a Diku MUD, it's still something you have to play and keep up with if you want to have real fun with your friends.

I think the key for me is to just play WoW like anything else and move on when I'm bored with it. I don't have it in me to "escape" into games these days, so there's really not much to hold me once the gameplay has lost its luster. I can socialize and connect with people in other ways.

“We are all capable of becoming fundamentalists because we get addicted to other people’s wrongness.”
~Pema Chödrön

Burning Crusade was my last expansion. I skipped Lich King entirely. Even after swearing off of the game for a few years, that nostalgia meter is revving right up to see what changes are done to the world.

After hundreds (and thousands.. eep) of hours in a game world this large, there's no denying these virtual inns and cities seem like real places from a past life, or former place in time. These former hangouts are a warm, virtual apple pie sitting precariously on their sills, just asking you to take a small slice.

Still, I look back. I remember fondly of hours stretching into the early AMs - doing epic runs with friends, laughing and cheering when overcoming insane obstacles, and goofing around at all chances.

Then I remember the not so fun moments. The guild drama involving very real people and overinflated situations. The hundreds of hours of grinding cloth. The burnout on multiple alts. Slamming down my keyboard in frustration after getting destroyed in Arena matches, knowing I was that much further from the gear that would stack my odds in favor of those same matches. The hours. The time. The commitment. All other games collecting dust. Not progressing in my career because during the day my head was filled with spreadsheets containing gear and DPS charts.

I know the way I am, and I know that I just can't play the game casually. I realized it's in my nature to get really invested in whatever I'm involved in, for better or worse. Even then, W possesses that little extra dash of magic/pixie-dust/evil that makes it just so darned alluring compared to any other game I've played (and can easily put down).

So, will nostalgia win? Can I resist all urges to dive in with both feet, and resort to dipping my toes in the water? I guess we'll see. My mind says no, but my warm and fuzzies say yes.

I have really played so those early launch days. Ran a guild. Had a hell of a time. Made friends with people I still play games with. It was about the community and friends more than the grind. That's something you get past in order to hang out with people.

I lost that when I stopped playing to plan for my wedding (more than 5.5 years ago now) and no matter how often I come back I haven't found it again.

I was going to reup for a month just to see the new stuff (something I do every expansion). And then I realized (as I was reading Elysium's article)... I'm already part of a community. You people are going to get me hooked again. I can already see it happening.

FYI if you don't see me for a few months it's because I'm fighting it. I'll be fighting it as hard as I an. However, I'll be joining you shortly. This is inevitable.

I have to admit Cataclysm is a little tempting but it's coming at the wrong time for me to actually be interested in it. I go through cycles with MMOs; I'll find one I'm interested in, play until I realize that I'm actually a very non-social gamer and that I don't like games I can't eventually beat, then after much debating finally quit and stick to single-player games.

I'm on the downward valley of that cycle right now after spending several months playing Star Trek Online so there's really no chance of getting into WoW all over again. Maybe in a few months. Sorry Blizzard, I really do like you guys!

I'm back for the 80-85, and probably the early worgen/goblin zones. That said, I don't know how long I'll stay or if I'm just visiting.

I used to be pretty involved with WoW, and then left my guild because of the drama, swapped servers, and took a long break. As I see it, the guild/social side is 50% of the game, and that tie isn't there for me right now. I also got 6 characters to 80, which in hindsight burnt me out a little.

Right now I'm just doing a little bit here and there, a quick dungeon run here and there, mopping up some quests to get the bank balance up. I'm mainly looking forwards to the new content, and hoping it's interesting. I think I'm past maxing out everything now, if I get a profession fully done, or a nice set of armour, then it should be a by-product of having fun playing the game, not the objective itself. I'm also not sure I fully enjoy the quest content of the type WoW has any more, or at least used to have when the cataclysm hits, whether the new content is awesome enough remains to be seen.

I like to think I play any given game because it's fun, and that if I find the ongoing game fun then I'll play it. I'd also like to think I can walk away again if it's not.

What do you mean "slightly long in the tooth"? No amount of water effects can make this game look less silly than it does.

Still, if Cataclysm gets solid reviews, I will give the game another go. At the very least, re-up for a couple of months and explore for awhile. I have never been able to spend more than three months or so on this game, unlike EQII and LOTRO, but WoW has its fun moments.

I am actually really curious to use Battle.net while in game. That will be a great way to find my friends and possibly make characters on new servers. Maybe, just maybe, all ten people on my list will agree to make new characters on one server so we can all be one big happy family.

"Yeah, well, uh, just keep your Power Gloves off her, pal, huh?" -Corey, from "The Wizard"

I have had a sub since day 1 and was in beta. I will be here, in the Monday night crew... chuggin along. I have been lucky enough to be able to manage my Wow time nicely in the past few years. I know it is difficult for a lot of people (including some friends of mine).

Having picked up wow about 2-3 weeks before the 4.0.?? patch along with my wife and 2 other friends, we are nearly ready for BC; refer-a-friend makes leveling so easy. It is true videogame crack; I've hardly played any game so much for so long with this level of geeking into nearly every facet of my character.

That being said, I am not sure how long I will be able to keep this up. Granted winter is coming to the northern hemisphere, this is a candle that is burning on at least 4 ends; it's only a mater of time. Can I get through the 1st two expansions before I burn out?

For years I have ignored, skipped, dropped podcasts, etc... anything to do with WoW, but not anymore. I can't wait to hear what the conference call has to say about the latest patch.

I've always been an alt-oholic so the chance to make new characters of not only new races with new starting zones, but a whole revamped old world to level in, is really just perfect for my playstyle, I really could not have imagined a better idea for an expansion to the game at this point. I haven't been away from the game other than taking a month or two off here and there, but the upcoming changes have me really excited - and for a game I have been playing this long, that's saying something.

I haven't played since right before Burning Crusade launched and I plan on coming back - this feels like the perfect time to attempt it as I won't be penalized for taking 3 years off. The total reboot appeals to me: sequels to MMO's don't ever seem to work. I feel like Blizzard has solved this by forgoing "WOW 2" and simply turning WOW into WOW2.